Short breaks that won’t break the bank

Inghams Short Breaks 2009 brochure is your perfect getaway companion for the credit crunch. Sometimes, three days away really can be better than seven. In the current economic climate, short breaks are a great holiday option for anyone flinching at the thought of forking out for a whole week away from home. Inghams, with 18 years of experience in this market has put together a new short breaks brochure that combines adventure with affordability.

Three new European destinations are featured. Innsbruck, the capital of Austria’s Tyrol region, gained plenty of plaudits from visitors when its Tivoli Neu stadium hosted football matches during Euro 2008 and has plenty to offer both architecture buffs and winter sports enthusiasts. The Belgian university city of Ghent isn’t quite what it seems – at first glance it’s a perfectly preserved medieval treasure, but scratch beneath the surface and there’s all the contemporary subculture you’d expect from a town with a student population of 30,000 and residents including the ultra-hip Soulwax music collective. Lastly, Marseille, France’s second city, is a true melting pot of cultures and offers a tempting combination of sun, sea, gastronomy and history.

Inghams’ Short Breaks 2009 brochure also offers new twists on old favourites. The romance of Paris, 2008’s most popular short break destination, is more affordable now that staying in self-catering luxury apartments is an option; an improved choice of accommodation in Tallinn and St Petersburg features amongst the 62 new hotels listed; and on a seasonal note, there’s a choice of Europe’s finest Christmas markets, with trips to Berlin, Brussels, Prague and Vienna.

In a global financial slowdown, the smartest holidaymakers head where credit is at its crunchiest, and Reykjavik, with its mix of high octane activities, stunning scenery and cool nightlife, is sure to be a firm favourite again in 2009 as Iceland is one of the few countries whose currency has fallen against the pound in recent times. With lower airfares likely as fuel prices fall, there’s never been a better time to head for the land of mountains and geysers.

Prices start from: 2* Hotel Bordeaux, Paris, at £159 pp for two nights B&B including Eurostar from St Pancreas. Ashford or Ebbsfleet. (Travel between 1 December 08 and 31 March 09).

Accommodation only prices start from £27 per person, per night at the Special Category Celal Sultan Hotel sharing a twin or double room on B&B.

For more information, log on to Inghams.co.uk.